My father Pulin Babu lived and died for Indigenous Aboriginal Black Untouchables. His Life and Time Covered Great Indian Holocaust of Partition and the Plight of Refugees in India. Which Continues as continues the Manusmriti Apartheid Rule in the Divided bleeding Geopolitics. Whatever I stumbled to know about this span, I present you. many things are UNKNOWN to me. Pl contribute.
Palash Biswas

Serious Journalism? Paying For “Nothing” Is Paying For Something By Romi Mahajan

For years I have seen the degradation of journalism world-wide and more broadly, the extent to which the "content" readily available from most sources has become increasingly trivial and below the standard on which any of us should base important decisions. Though there are notable exceptions --usually the product of heroic and valorous attempts by courageous and under paid people—the preponderance of what we have available is little better than pabulum.

A "form factor" that has paid the price dearly is the serious magazine. Tabloids sell well and indeed much of print has become little better than tabloids, but serious magazines have been badly hit by the "changes" in media. Some have adapted, others are struggling and living, while many perished. Worse still is the fate of the investigative element of content-development, the type of follow-the-money, expose-the-powerful journalist and content development that has all but disappeared in the mainstream.

The race to the bottom continues as serious and deep content developers (authors) are fired from their roles and are forced to factory-farm content simply to feed their families. They produce "by the piece" and as prices go down and content serves largely as "clickbait," they have to produce more. The more a person produces in a day the more the gravity and quality erodes and the race continues until we have clickbait pap as the mode and decent content as the exception.

While money and corporate profit maximization is the root of much of this derogatory turn of events, we as consumers cannot escape our own role in this race to the bottom. Put simply, many of us have decided to demand free content while remaining seemingly oblivious to the fact that indeed we pay with our time, privacy, and often dignity when we avoid paying a few dollars for the intellectual labor of others.

As I discuss this with many people, I am told, more often than one might imagine, that there indeed should be an aversion to "paying for nothing." While the very people who say these things seem to be the base for Netflix's growing subscriber base (for which one pays) or the success of the Amazon Kindle (for which one pays), the idea that one should pay for great journalism or great investigative content seems to be absent.

But "paying for nothing" is indeed paying for something- something very dear. While as consumers we should absolutely be willing to pay for content the onus is all the more so if we consider our main incarnation—as citizens.

We all hate "being advertised to" but we invite that fate by being unwilling to part with a few dollars to support the authors and publishers of serious content so that indeed we can avoid being advertised to. This is an abdication, both an economic and a philosophical one. And it's self-destructive to boot.

So even if you aren't receiving a physical "good" for your money, try subscribing to publications that seek to get to the bottom of things, from which you can learn and via the learning evaluate the best choices for you, your society, and your ecosystem. And even if you can't read every article in the media to which you subscribe, remember that your dollars help others gain the same insights they need to benefit not only themselves but the world we all share.

Paying for nothing is absolutely paying for something.

Romi Mahajan is the founder of KKM Group a marketing firm, an author, an investor, and an activist. His career is a storied one, including spending 9 years at Microsoft and being the first CMO of Ascentium, an award-winning digital agency. Romi has also authored two books on marketing- the latest one can be found here . A prolific writer and speaker, Mahajan lives in Bellevue, WA, with his wife and two kids. Mahajan graduated from the University of California at Berkeley, at the age of 19. He can be reached at romi@thekkmgroup.com

The Voice of the Persecuted Nationalities Denied ...

Politics, Economics and the GLOBE

Marxist and the Gandhi

Dharmaveer

Dharamaveer, then Governor of Bengal 9second from Left) with Jyoti basu, deputy CM, Mrs Indira gandhi, PM and Ajoy Mukherjee , CM. Dharamveer belonged to Dhramanagari in Bijnore, Sabita`s maternal Home. Bengali Refugees in Bijnore had been resettled in the State of King Jwala Prasad. Dharmaveer was the Eldest PRINCE of the State

Marichjhanpi Massacre, First genocide by the Marxist Brahaminical Hegemony

Peasant Uprising

Mahendra singh Tikait, the leader of bharatiya Kisan Union and me during the Massive Rally under Peasant uprising in western UP

The Poet with Us

Baba nagarjun the Poet at our Amravati residence where he stayed with us. From Left Shobhakant , the youngest son of the Poet, Me ,Baba and Sabita

Me and Sabita in Home Town

Me and sabita in our Home Town Nainital after our marriage

Cancer Ward

ND Tiwari assureing my Dying father who later succumbed to Cancer in 2001 that he would establish a canser Hospital as my father wished last. Tiwari never Visited Basantipur after my Father`s death and simply forgot about the hospital

MIli and Subhash with the Poet

Mili, My cousin Subhash `s Wife, who died succumbing to Septosemia in NRS Hospital on first May 1995, Subhsh, Me and Sabita with the Prominet Hindi Poet Baba Nagarjun who also died later flanked by Left Totan , only son of Mili and subhsh and Tussu. Baba satyed with us in 1992

Generation Next

From Left, Biplab , the eleder Son of Padmalochan my brother, Tussu my son and Tutul, the yonger son of Lochan. Biplabis no more as heexpired on 25th May 1991, four days after the death of rajiv Gandhi in Bomb Blast. biplab sucumbed to Fever at aged only Six

Meeradi

My eldest cousin Meeradi with her Grand son shivanand who is a Young Man but Deaf and dumb

My villagers

My Villagers during the last journey of their Comrade, and head of the Village family, Pulin Babu

Last Rites

We all brothers and boys at home during Last Rites of my father while Jethamoshai looks on

FRIENDS in DSB

Me9thirdfrom left with DSB Friends in seventies

JETHAMOSHAI

My Father`s elder Brother

ND Tiwar at Home

ND Tiwari on the Death Bed of his Close Friend, my Father accepts ISHWAR KI Galti